INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON RISK ASSESSMENT OF METALS AND THEIR INORGANIC
COMPOUNDS: This workshop was held in Angers, France, 13-15 November
1996. Over 70 individuals from 15 countries participated in the workshop,
which was organized by the International Council on Metals and the Environment
(ICME), the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), Health Canada,
the Australian Department of Health and the Chilean National Commission
on the Environment (CONAMA). The objectives of the workshop were to identify
the key issues and to develop a common understanding of the path forward
in risk assessment methodologies for metals. The workshop resulted in recommendations
that state, inter alia, the development IPCS and OECD of an ad hoc advisory
group to advise OECD and IPCS on the feasibility of establishing a permanent
international working group to coordinate research, testing strategies
and methodological developments related to the risk assessment of metals
and their compounds. The workshop also recommended: establishment
of an interdisciplinary expert group for the development of an Environmental
Health Criteria document (EHC) for ecological risk assessment; establishment
of an informal information exchange network between academia, industry
and governmental agencies to advance the understanding of the characteristics
of metals; demonstration of the need for a consortium fund by interested
organizations to support methodology development, testing and research
in the field of metal speciation, metal complexation and environmental
background levels and habitat conditions. For more information contact
ICME, 294 Albert Street, Suite 506, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P 6E6; tel:
+1 (613) 235- 4263; fax: +1 (613) 233-2865; e-mail: info@icme.com
.
PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT (PIC): The second session of the Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee for an International Legally Binding Instrument for
the Application of the PIC Procedure (INC-2) met from 16-20 September 1996
at UNEP, which set the stage for a global convention on the trade in dangerous
chemicals and pesticides next year. Through the voluntary PIC procedure,
importing countries can learn about dangerous and toxic chemicals and pesticides
that may be shipped to them and decide whether they will permit or ban
future imports. Exporting countries are notified which products importing
countries no longer want to receive and can help ensure that illegal exports
do not occur. The procedure is jointly handled by UNEP and the FAO. Efforts
by UNEP and FAO to promote chemical safety were initially based on the
1985 International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides
and the 1987 London Guidelines for the Exchange of Information on Chemicals
in International Trade. These two voluntary systems encourage Governments
to share information and to shift to ecologically sustainable chemicals
management. As some pesticides and other chemicals that are banned or severely
restricted in certain developed countries are still widely used elsewhere,
particularly in developing countries, the governing bodies of UNEP and
FAO introduced the voluntary �Prior Informed Consent� procedure (PIC) in
1989. As of July 1996, some 145 countries are participat-ing in the PIC
procedure. For more information, please contact: Michael Williams, UNEP
Geneva, tel +(41 22) 979-9242; fax +(41 22) 797-3464; e-mail:mwilliams@unep.ch
or Jim Sniffen, UNEP New York, tel +1 (212) 963 8094; fax +1 (212) 963
734; e-mail sniffenj@un.org. Also try http://irptc.unep.ch/pic/
